Genital Herpes (HSV).

This is an STI caused by the Herpes Simplex virus type 1 and type 2. Most genital herpes is caused by HSV Type 2. Most women have no symptoms or signs from this infection. When signs do occur, they appear as one or more blisters around the genital area. These break, leaving tender sores that may take two to four weeks to heal.

Typically another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it is almost always less severe and shorter than the first outbreak.

Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years. The virus is released from the sores but it can also be released between outbreaks from skin that does not appear to be broken or to have a sore.
Generally a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a HSV Type 2 infection. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know he or she is infected.

HSV-Type I can cause genital herpes but it more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips, also known as “cold sores”. HSV-1 infection of the genitals can be cause by oral-genital or genital-genital contact with a person who has HSV-1 infection. Generally HSV – 1 outbreaks recur less regularly than genital HSV-2 outbreaks. If the woman develops signs and symptoms on their first outbreak they can be quite marked. The first outbreak usually occurs within two weeks of contact with an infected person. Apart from genital pain patients can experience flu-like symptoms and swollen glands.

Most can expect four to five outbreaks in the first year. Genital Herpes is diagnosed by visual inspection and swabbing the area of the sores. There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but antiviral medication can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the time the person takes the medication.